1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to specimen collection containers used to collect a fluid sample and, more particularly, to specimen collection containers having a fill-volume indicator.
2. Description of Related Art
Biological sample containers have traditionally been used for the collection of specimens, such as blood and other bodily fluids. Collected specimens are typically required for the purpose of, for example, performing diagnostic tests. In many cases, a predetermined volume of specimen is required to perform a specific test, and specimen collection containers are often utilized to facilitate collection of a precise test-specific specimen volume. In certain specimen collection containers, a pre-measured additive, such as a preservative or anticoagulant, is deposited into the container to preserve or otherwise prepare the sample. Accordingly, it is important that the amount of fluid sample collected within the container corresponds to the volume of additive within the container and/or the desired test volume.
In some cases, specimen collection containers include graduated, numerical markings on an outer surface so that a technician can visually determine the amount of volume in the container at a given time in terms of milliliters or fractions of a milliliter. In other cases, containers having simply a fill-line indicator are provided, with the fill-line indicator defining, for instance, a minimum and/or maximum amount of sample that can be placed in the container. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0125673 provides an example of such a collection container. It is noted herein that in certain embodiments, during use of the container a medical practitioner may rely on the fill-line indicator and not on the numerical markings to determine proper fill and withdrawal of sample. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, use of the container does not require reliance on the numerical markings by a medical practitioner.
However, certain diagnostic tests require extraction of a sample from the specimen collection container manually, whereas other diagnostic tests may permit extraction of the sample from the specimen collection container for an automated process. In certain cases, both processes may be machine related, in which one process involves a user holding the sample to the probe, and the other process involves an analyzer automatically accessing the sample via a probe. In certain cases, the volume of sample required for automated extraction may be different than the volume of sample required for manual extraction. Traditional numerical indicators and min/max fill-line indicator combinations are insufficient to communicate the different fill-volumes required for manual and automatic sample extraction.